Daily Archives: 05/06/2015
Community Invited to Participate in Highway 76 South Master Plan
UPSTATE – Pacolet Milliken Enterprises, Inc., the City of Clemson and the Town of Pendleton are inviting the community to participate in a series of public meetings to gather input on a master development plan for several hundred acres of land that Pacolet Milliken owns along Highway 76. Stantec, an international urban design company that has been contracted to develop the master plan, will be hosting several planning workshops that will open discussion among the community May 11 – 15 in
2 killed in motorcycle wrecks
COUNTY — Separate motorcycle crashes claimed the lives of two Pickens County men in a span of three days last week.
John R. Chastain, 24, died of blunt force trauma after his motorcycle struck a vehicle head-on near Liberty on Wednesday night, according to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley.
On Saturday afternoon, 30-year-old David Bradley Snyder died at Greenville Memorial
Man faces child porn charges
CENTRAL — A Central man was arrested Thursday after child pornography was allegedly found on his computer.
John Paul James, 42, of 224 Boggs Road, was charged with second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and 10 counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a news release from the office of South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Investigators said James was involved in child pornography via file sharing, the release
Easley hires Steese as new admin
By Ben Robinson
Staff Reporter
brobinson@thepccourier.com
Stephen Steese
EASLEY — Easley city council members met last week and decided to hire Stephen Steese as city administrator, according to mayor Larry Bagwell.
Steese was selected from 47 applicants to replace departing administrator Fox Simons, Bagwell said.
“According to our form of government, I can actually hire the administrator myself,
Ceremony planned in Revolutionary War soldier’s honor
Long-time local history enthusiast Una Welborn has planned a service to honor local Revolutionary War soldier Benjamin Barton at his gravesite at Mountain Grove Baptist Church in Pickens.
By Lynda Abegg
Special to The Courier
news@thepccourier.com
PICKENS — Una Welborn is amazed at how her little “project” has grown into an event.
It all began when some of Benjamin Barton’s relatives from Georgia contacted her because they wanted to visit their ancestor’s grave.
Barton had fought in the Revolutionary War. Welborn, a long-time history enthusiast, is a member of the Fort Prince George Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and recently became a Colonial Dame. She told them she knew where Barton was buried. After all, he was her husband’s five-times great-grandfather. Her husband, Harold Welborn, currently owns land previously owned by
Blue Ridge members celebrate a milestone
Photos by Rocky Nimmons/Courier
Pickens-area resident Geraldine Chapman receives her gift — a cast-iron skillet emblazoned with a 75th anniversary logo — from Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative employee Rickey Parker at the co-op’s annual meeting of members last week.
PICKENS — An estimated 5,000 people turned out last Thursday for Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative’s annual meeting of members, hosted at the utility’s Pickens equipment facility.
Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative president and CEO Charles Dalton, left, greets director Mendel Stone of Oconee County at last week’s annual members meeting.
The nearly 3,000 members who registered for the event each received a cast-iron skillet embossed with the cooperative’s 75th anniversary logo.
Preliminary entertainment for the evening featured the Sweet Potato Pie Kids and Doyle Burton and the Silver Dollar Gang. The headline act was the Chuck Wagon Gang, who came on stage after the adjournment of the business session.
A good part of the program was devoted to observance of the cooperative’s 75th anniversary. Members of the Oconee and Pickens legislative delegations presented a concurrent resolution passed by both houses of the S.C. General Assembly. The resolution commended
Blue Ridge Fest set for Friday
PICKENS — The 18th annual Blue Ridge Fest will take place Friday at Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative’s headquarters in Pickens.
BLUE RIDGE FEST
The festival boasts the largest classic car cruise-in event in the Upstate, along with a Beach Night show and dance.
Special entertainment will feature Johnny Tillotson, The Shirelles with Shirley Alston Reeves and The Swingin’ Medallions. In 2014, Blue Ridge Fest attracted more than
Pickens golfer Harkins inks with Emmanuel
Pickens High School’s Lauren Harkins signed Monday to play golf at Emmanuel College. Pictured, from left, are Brenda Harkins, Lauren Harkins, Evie Harkins and Donnie Harkins.
PICKENS — Pickens High School senior golfer Lauren Harkins signed on Monday to take her game to the next level at Emmanuel College.
Being able to earn a spot at Emmanuel was the culmination of many years of work for Harkins.
“I worked many hours on this, so I am very excited about it,” Harkins said.
Maybe the most attractive thing about going to Emmanuel is that Lauren’s sister,
Meeting to introduce new Pumpkintown fire chief
PUMPKINTOWN — The board of directors for the Pumpkintown Fire Department will hold a town hall meeting from 8:30-10 a.m. on May 9 to introduce the department’s new fire chief, Lee McJunkin.
The meeting will be held at the Pumpkintown General Store. Free coffee and doughnuts will be served, and the usual breakfast fare may be ordered.
The purpose is to reveal the goals of the fire department for the future and have an opportunity to hear McJunkin’s vision for the department going forward.
Azalea Fest committee thanks City of Pickens
Members of the Pickens Azalea Festival Committee recently presented the City of Pickens with a commemorative award for the help the city gave during the 2015 Pickens Azalea Festival. Pictured are council members Carlton Holley, Pattie Welborn, Fletcher Perry and Pickens Mayor David Owens along with committee members Russ Gantt and Jeff Hogan.
